Wednesday, April 13, 2011

I love making finger puppets!!! It is one of my favorite projects that I do every year. I am always amazed at the creativity of my students. Every class uses the same materials (felt, pom-poms, google eyes, feathers and buttons), but every student's puppet is so different!!! The first time I did this project I made everyone do an animal puppet, but students were asking if they could make something else like a pirate, star wars, or a self-portrait (see below), and many more great ideas, so now I do not limit them to an animal. One student even made a puppet portrait of me, Mrs. Castrigano (see below, the one with the paintbrush and feather hair). I also enjoy students creating puppets about things they love and enjoy, like the basketball puppets below. I do this lesson with 5-8th graders because I feel you are never to old to make puppets!!

About Me

I am currently in my 7th year of teaching!! I teach art to 6th, 7th and 8th graders at Southeast Middle School. I have taught for 5 years in the Phoenix Elementary School District. I absolutely love teaching art and cannot imagine doing anything else! I enjoy painting in my free time and my artwork has been on display in restaurants and galleries in the Phoenix and Cleveland areas.
I attended Kent State University in Ohio. I majored in Art Education and received two minors in fine art and education. I graduated from High School in Ohio also, and was selected to participate in a professionally oriented Art Program. It was this program and the wonderful teachers that taught it that inspired me to become an Art Teacher.